Trailer Blazer: J. Lo, Gwyneth, Wallace & Gromit

An Unfinished Life (Sept. 9) Jennifer Lopez’s long-delayed bid for Oscar credibility, this film has a clip that barely features her at all. Still, the plot (pretty much explained in full in the trailer) centers on her unexpected arrival at the homestead of her father-in-law, Robert Redford, with her own daughter in tow. Bob bonds with the girl, but less so with his late son’s widow. Morgan Freeman is along in the Morgan Freeman role, his white pal’s crusty conscience. Lots of pretty scenery to watch as you ponder what a comedown it must be for J. Lo (left) to be considered less of a marketing draw than old-timers Redford and Freeman and the guy who directed The Cider House Rules.

Proof (Sept. 16) How do you sell a movie that’s a meditation on math, madness, and father-daughter ties? If you’re Miramax, you make it look like a thriller/romance. Lots of Gwyneth Paltrow and Jake Gyllenhaal here, less of Anthony Hopkins (as her math professor dad) and Hope Davis (who looks fantastic here, by the way) as her sister. One virtue of having a confusing clip: It doesn’t spoil the entire plot.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (Oct. 7) Even if you’re not already a fan of the Wallace & Gromit claymation shorts, this clip will be a delight. Not much plot but plenty of sight gags involving the dimwitted inventor and his sensible dog.

Little Manhattan (Sept. 30) The clip tells the entire story: Boy meets girl, boy loses girl… did I mention that boy and girl are both 11 years old? This looks sweet and very funny, a lot like the forgotten ’70s film Rich Kids, also about two Manhattan youngsters experiencing the first flush of puppy love. Bradley Whitford and Cynthia Nixon are the big names here as the boy’s estranged parents. Lots of gorgeous Manhattan scenery, and nice use of Elton John’s ”Someone Saved My Life Tonight.”